Improvement in straw-cutters



B. BELCHER.

sTRAW-cuTTER.

Patented Feb. 29, 1876 N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. DUO.

UNITED STATES 5 PATENT OEEIcE BENJAMIN BELOHER, oEcHIooPEE FALLS,MASSACHUSETTS, AssIoNoR I TO JoHN w. BELOHER, 0F SAME PLAoE;

or ONE-HALF Hrs RIGHT v IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,057, dated February29, 1876; application filed February 2, 1876.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BELOHER, of ()hicopee Falls, in the countyof Hampden and State of feed-cutters used for cutting hay and straw,which improvements are set forth in this specification in such full,clear, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art towhich these appertain to make, construct, and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates. to that class of machines known as lever-cutters,in which the knife is attached to a lever, and cuts by coming in contactwith a stationary metallic bed-plate on the mouth of the box, throughwhich the substance to. be cut is supplied, so that as the knife isbrought down the cutting is done on the principle of an ordinary pair ofshears; and my improvements consist, first, in a device for a readylateral and angular adjustment of the knife, and a provision fordetaching the knife by merely loosening screws, Without the necessityoft-akingthem out; and, secondly, in a device for a lateral and angulartadjustment of the lever which carries the kni e.

I will now proceed to describe the construction and operation of myimproved machine, referring to the drawing herein, in which- Figure 1 isan elevation of a feed-cutter embodying my invention, the dotted linesshowing the position of the'knife when a cut is fully made, and thelever has completed its descent. Fig. 2 is a plan of that part of afeed-cutter which contains my improvement, with the knife and itscarriage detached. Fig. 3 is a sectional side view, showing the relativeposition of the knife and its mode of operation. Fig. etis a sectionalviewof the pivoted end of the lever, on the line a: of Fig. 1, showingthe mode of obtainin g both a lateral and an angular adjustment of thelever B.

A represents the box containing the substance to becut, and is supportedupon a suitable frame or legs. This box is provided at its mouth with ametallic frame, a, from Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulimprovements in that class of which frame projects the stud b, which.serves as a fulcrum for the lever B, to which, when in use, the knife isattached. 0n the lever B are slotted lugs c, to receive the screwbolts01 which pass through projections c on the knife-carriage f. whenattached to its carriage. D represents the pivoted end of theknife-bearing lever, 9 being a sleeve which is slipped 'on the stud b,and secured in any convenient manner, and h h h h being set-screwspassing through the projecting end of the lever, this device be ingindependent of, although it may be used in connection with, the deviceset forth in claim 1 hereof.

It may readily be seen, without further explanation, that by means ofthe screw-bolts d the knife may be securely fixed to the lever, and mayeasily be detached by merely loosening the said screw-bolts, and slidingthem outward through the open ends of the slotted lugs, without thenecessity of withdrawing them, and by the same means both lateral andangular adjustments of the knife can be made, In place of thescrew-bolts sliding, as described, through the open end of the slottedlugs, ordinary slots and set-screws, or their mechanicalequivalents,.may be used.

' It must also be obvious to any person skilled in the art to which thisinvention ap. pertains, that, bymeansof any three of the set-screws h hh h, which operate independently of each other, the knife-bearing levermay be adjusted tothe sleeve 9, so as to bring the lever as close to theframe as may be desired, and its parallelism with the mouthpiece beregulated so as to secure thegreatest efficiency of which the cuttingapparatus is capable.

The sleeve 9 is represented, in this instance, as having a square outersurface; but, without deviating from the principle of thisinvention, itmay also be made round, so as to fit into a corresponding space in thefulcrum end 'of the lever.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'0 represents the knife I 1. In a .stmw cutter, thei knifeecanriageiflig seremsnh .substwntiallmasd,vandofomthe-pumprovided; with: projectionseiattached i,to .lever poses;.-iherei-n sehzforthm, f I 13', providedwith slotted projections c by set-' v screws d, in the manner and forthe purpose." BENJAMIN BELOHER.

set forth. Witnesses:

2. The combination, inv a .straw-cuttennfi PAIGE- the lever-B,"fulcrum-stud b; sleeve g; and'set-r 1 J SAWIN;

